Larry N. Johnson

So the 64 concept was 6 tail lights?



Did the bean counters get in there and change that?

Bluestripe67

I would guess they did. Damn shame, they look good. Dennis

RatDog

I never understood the fascination with adding the extra lights. Did this become a popular modification "back in the day" because the full-sized Chevy Impala's had 6 lights while the Biscaynes and Bel Airs had only 4 and people preferred that look?

-- Steve

62Jeff

I believe the 1959 Corvette Stingray Racer was the first concept to include 6 round tail lights.

MiguelsC2

Maybe, the more lights the more visibility.

Vette Daddy

I kind of like the six tail light treatment. Old school muscle look.

Larry N. Johnson

I bought a car that I get July 9th that has them.



Not an uncommon mod in the 60's

Larry N. Johnson

Remember the beach boys song Dead Man’s Curve “all the Jag could see were my 6 tail lights”?

62Jeff

Larry, I'm going to go way out on a limb here, and suggest that you may be a tad bit excited about your new car?

I know how you feel, I'm in the same boat waiting on a supercharger for my 07.

vetrod62

Capt Bill

Sorry Larry, but "Dead Man's Curve" was by Jan and Dean.

MiguelsC2

Ya one of them rammed his 427 Vette into the back of a truck and ended their career. He was never the same afterwords.Taking nothing from the Beach boys. Jan and Dean were the true Beach Boys. They had "the sound" first.

MiguelsC2

Nothing personal. For the last 20+ yrs those 6 tail lights have kept many a bodyman busy reversing the procedure.
If Mine came with 6, I would make the inner most lights into reverse lights.

Poorhousenext

Did a little research on 3rd tailight before doing it on my 64 project as it my own protype of sorts.

GM design toyed with the idea and GM exces speced cars with them.

Goes back to at least 1957 SS-XP-64



1961 (Mako) Shark XP



1964 World's Fair Styling Concept





1964 '66 update proposal



1965 Mako Shark II XP 830



You should be able to see Design group always wanted to add 3rd taillight.

Exec car for Chevy Boss Knudsen's wife



Below 64 also has 6 taillights along with a few other features. Bill Mitchel had GM styling build it for sale to his friend Ozzie Olson




The above are why I get a kick out of all those that put people down for adding them. Maybe we understand styling more an are more open minded. But then again most think C2/Midyear/Sitng Ray's body design is flowing, when it's an angular cutting design ...

Nowhere Man

it was a SB coupe with either AC or an auto I forget. it has been disused on here many of times

1snake

The 65 I bought last year had 6 lights installed when it was new. I think it looks way better BUT I'm going back to the original 2 red and B/U lights.


Jim

champs65

IMO, they don't look good on a corvette. The car is....just too small for so many lights.

My first love in cars was the 62-62 Impalas. It's the taillights that hooked me (along with the roofline). The Biscaynes/Bel Airs...just not so much.

Bottom line for me, 6 taillights "fit" an Impala, and 4 taillights don't "fit" a Bel Air. Just not enough for a car that size. Opposite is true for me with any corvette, solid axle to C3.

LSUvetteguy

It sure looks good like it is. If I had one that had been that way since new I'd probably leave it that way.

Easy Rider 1

Its a matter of taste, but I think it makes the rear too cluttered and busy looking. Thanks for the lesson and pics.
Mike

Larry N. Johnson

Tomorrow is Monday; we leave Wednesday early!
Can't sleep.